DESCRIPTION OF CESTODES INFECTING DOMESTICATED PIGEON (COLUMBA LIVIA DOMESTICA) IN EGYPT WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION OF RAILLIETINA SPP.

SAFI-ELDIN, MARWA; TAHA, HODA A.; ASHOUR, AMEEN A.

doi:10.21608/jesp.2019.68050

DESCRIPTION OF CESTODES INFECTING DOMESTICATED PIGEON (COLUMBA LIVIA DOMESTICA) IN EGYPT WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION OF RAILLIETINA SPP.

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, 11566, Egypt.

10.21608/jesp.2019.68050

Abstract

This study investigated the prevalence and the specific identity of cestode parasites isolated from the digestive tract of domestic pigeon (Columba livia domestica) in Cairo, Egypt. Out of 246 pigeons, 61 (24.79%) were infected by one or more species. Eight helminthes species were recorded; three nematodes; Ascaridia galli, A. columbae and Heterakis gallinarum and five cestodes; Raillietina echinobothrida, R. tetragona, R. sp., Cotugnia digonopora and Choanotaenia
infundibulum. No trematodes were recorded. The morphological observations, using light microscope, were employed for precise identification of cestodes with particular attention to molecular identity of Raillietina spp. using two molecular techniques: RAPD-PCR and SSCP-PCR.

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